Handicapped Bathrooms

Monday, April 26, 2010

I have a pet peeve. I don't like those people who think handicapped restrooms are ONLY for the handicapped. Yes, they're designed especially for wheelchair access, but they're there for everyone. If no one handicapped is in line, feel free to use the restroom. If there is a handicapped person, they can wait in line until it is free or move to the front of the line to be the next person in.
I am not handicapped, but I like to use them. They are wider, they usually have a bar to help lift you up, and they are higher off the ground. If you have knees that don't bend, there is nothing worse than having to get down to within 12 inches of the floor to use a toilet.
If there is a long line, feel free to use the toilet. They are NOT just for the handicapped, they are there to help the handicapped if they need it. Not using it is like saying, you can't walk up a handicapped ramp because it's made for wheelchairs. Just be kind enough to give the things up when they are needed.
Thank you for listening to my pet peeve. And the next time someone gripes that a non-handicapped person is using the restroom, reassure them that the restrooms are for everyone.

ANNEMARGO brings up a very good salient point.....perhaps the sight of that "universal symbol" of a person in a *wheelchair* may give some an impression that something is specifically for wheelchair-bound *only*....just sayin'....just another thing that "makes you go hmmmmm".....

This is something that's been a concern of mine too for 15+ years, ever since my late first husband, who was partially paralyzed due to a stroke but didn't need a wheelchair, had to start using disabled bathrooms and other accommodations, and had to deal with ignorant people day to day. Disabled bathrooms and stalls are for everyone that have a disability and need the accommodation, not just people who use wheelchairs. That includes people with knees that don't bend, so if that's you, the stall is specifically for you, too! The wheelchair symbol is just a very recognizable symbol for disability accommodations--look at the wide range of disabilities that qualify for a disabled parking spot, yet the symbol on the spot is a wheelchair. And yes, if there's no one in line that has a disability that requires the disabled stall, a person without a disability can use the stall. Miss Manners suggests that an able bodied person try not to use the stall for things that will take a long time (ahem). But in general, if someone needs the help, then they're entitled, whether they're in a wheelchair or not. So if you need the disabled stall, use it!